Celebs React To Stan Lee's Death

Pop culture icon Stan Lee passed away Nov. 12, 2018. According to TMZ, the Marvel Comics co-creator was transported from his home in Hollywood Hills, Calif. to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by ambulance in the morning, and reportedly never recovered, dying in the hospital. He was 95 years old.

As many fans already know, Lee launched his career in 1939, helping to create comic book characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Mighty Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Black Panther, and the X-Men, among many, many others (via The Hollywood Reporter). Many of his creations were later given life on the big and small screens, most notably appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Lee cemented his relevance throughout the years by making cameos in projects based on his work.

Given his influence on the world of entertainment, it's no wonder that countless people took to social media to mourn the loss of the legend that was Stan Lee.

Actress Rosario Dawson was one of many celebrities to take to Twitter to grieve the death of Stan Lee. She shared a tweet by NBC anchor Carl Quintanilla that revealed how Lee had publicly condemned bigotry and racism. Lee's message, which appeared to be from a comic book, had said, "Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance."

Beside the message, Dawson — who appeared in the Marvel series Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and The Defenders — wrote, "Overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the late, great hero, Stan Lee." She added, "Rest In Paradise. Thank you for your imagination, creativity, tenacity, inspiration and love!!!"

As Marvel fans already know, Letitia Wright made a big splash in the entertainment industry when she appeared on the silver screen as the Wakandan princess and tech genius Shuri in Black Panther. She later appeared in Avengers: Infinity War in 2018. Given her connection to Lee through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's no surprise Wright took the time to tweet a message following Lee's death. 

Keeping her post short and simple, the actress wrote, "Rest in Peace Stan Lee," along with a blue heart emoji. Considering Lee's influence on her career by way of his comics — and the careers of so many others — we suspect that Wright and many of her on-screen co-stars may have been feeling emotional following the news of Lee's passing.

Alongside Letitia Wright, Winston Duke played the Wakandan Warrior M'Baku in Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, and, like his co-star, he also took to Twitter to comment on Stan Lee's death. Sharing a photo of Lee published by The Hollywood Reporter, Duke wrote, "THANK YOU, @TheRealStanLee. You gave us characters that continue to stand the test of time and evolve with our consciousness. You taught us that there are no limits to our future as long as we have access to our imagination." Duke went on, "Rest in power!" He also added Lee's trademark catchphrase, "#EXCELSIOR," adding the hashtags, "#StanLee #rip."

Actor Chris Evans, who most of the world knows best for playing the popular character Steve Rogers  — aka Captain America — in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reacted to Stan Lee's passing on Twitter shortly after news broke that the comic book legend had died. 

"There will never be another Stan Lee," Evans wrote. "For decades he provided both young and old with adventure, escape, comfort, confidence, inspiration, strength, friendship and joy. He exuded love and kindness and will leave an indelible mark on so, so, so many lives." Like Winston Duke, Evans, who finished filming Avengers 4 in early October 2018, ended his post with "Excelsior!!"

Ryan Reynolds, who stars as the main character of the Deadpool franchise, also tweeted a response to the news of Lee's death. Posting a still from Lee's cameo in 2016's Deadpool, in which the Marvel co-creator played a strip club DJ, Reynolds wrote, "Damn... RIP Stan. Thanks for everything."

Lee had previously joked about the location of his cameo, saying during a MegaCon interview in May 2016 (via The Hollywood Reporter), "I don't know if I should tell you the truth about that cameo. It will kill all your fun. ... I was not in the topless dancing place. I did that in a studio and then they put it into the movie, and I'm damn mad about that!" He continued, "I made them promise on the next one, I'm going to be right there."

Josh Brolin has a special connection to Marvel — he appeared as two different villains in two different blockbuster films in the same year. He played finger-snapping Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and also time-traveler Cable in Deadpool 2. That said, it'd only make sense for Brolin to feel a certain loss after learning of Stan Lee's passing. 

"Stan Lee and Dr. Seuss and Ray Bradbury. That's where it begins and ends with me," Brolin wrote on Instagram, beside a photo of Lee. "To those of us who have been so deeply affected by the humanity of his imagination, the understanding of reaching beyond our potential and the necessity of tapping into our immeasurable imaginations, we thank you and are forever indebted." Brolin added, "Rest In Peace Dear Stan. You made our time here a better one. #ripstanlee."

Of course, the late Stan Lee touched the lives of more people than just those involved in Marvel projects. Actor and Broadway star Josh Gad, for instance, was one of many who mourned the loss of Lee online, despite having not appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He shared a selfie he took with Lee on Twitter and wrote, "RIP to one of the greatest creative minds of our time." Gad continued, "Thank you for such an incredible legacy and for giving us so many icons that will continue to live on long after you are gone," adding, "Goodbye #stanlee — we love you."

Iconic actress and star of the popular Halloween franchise, Jamie Lee Curtis also shared her thoughts on social media following Lee's death. She posted a black-and-white photo of Lee wearing a military uniform, surrounded by drawings in what appears to be his office. In the body of the tweet, Curtis expressed her appreciation not only for all that Lee had done for the entertainment industry — and for his fans — but also for his service in the United States military. "Thank you Stan Lee. For your service in protecting our freedom and for your creativity and imagination!" she wrote. "You were and will always be a SUPER HERO!"

Mistress of the Dark, Elvira was another celeb who reacted to the death of Stan Lee online. In a tweet, Elvira, whose real name is Cassandra Peterson, posted a series of photos of herself with Lee over the years. She and Lee had likely gotten to know each other well after partnering up for the Comikaze Expo, a Los Angeles convention for all things pop culture, horror, comic book, and gaming, in 2012. "I am so very, very sad to hear of my friend @TheRealStanLee's passing," Elvira tweeted out. "He is a legend and his work with live on through the ages. EXCELSIOR! #RIPStanLee."